SETI vs METI

Find some time to read through this NYTimes Magazine piece, Greetings E.T. (Please Don't Murder Us) that runs through the history of SETI and it's more proactive, controversial, counterpart METI.

The gist of the article is that we've been listening to the Universe for a long time but only rarely do we intentionally broadcast messages out to the unknown (we unintentionally leak radio all the time) - a decision that should not come lightly. I was familiar with the Golden Record but was unaware of the Arecibo message - 168 seconds of noise that, when decoded, tries to communicate who we are, where we are and what kind of science we're working with. The information contained in each seems harmless enough but the mere fact that it establishes that we exist is the fundamental concern.

Some big thinkers of our time warn that this could be a dangerous undertaking; akin to being a Native American inviting Columbus to discover you. We may be better off alone on our pale blue dot but we're a curious species, often at our own detriment. It's a great, lengthy, read but I highly recommend it.